


Don't Join a Gang

by DoomNightAt12



Series: T&B Notfic collection [1]
Category: Tiger & Bunny
Genre: Alternate Universe - Criminals, Gen, Kotetsu joins a gang and has regrets, Notfic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-04
Updated: 2020-04-04
Packaged: 2021-03-01 10:20:50
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,686
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23469811
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DoomNightAt12/pseuds/DoomNightAt12
Summary: (Notfic)When the world is not a great place for NEXT, Kotetsu joins a gang, and regrets it. He also regrets helping kidnap the youngest member of the Brooks family, and letting the boy witness his parents deaths. Look he has a lot of regrets.
Series: T&B Notfic collection [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1688401
Kudos: 1





	Don't Join a Gang

**Author's Note:**

> Welcome to the first in the Notfic series, which actually starts with a fully written prologue! There were two verisons of this AU, but this one had more written for it.

In this world, there were not many opportunities in life once you were known as a NEXT. Kotetsu Kubaragi had done his best to hide his powers at age 10, but when you glowed blue for 5 minutes and broke everything you touched during that time, it was harder than it seemed. So he did the only reasonable thing a young NEXT would do: run away from home and join a gang.

Alright, so maybe it hadn’t been his best life choice. And _MAYBE_ after his small town gang got too big and attracted too much attention, he really should have gone home. But instead Kotetsu had found himself being brought to the bright and shining Stern Bild city, and inducted into one of the largest underground NEXT gangs, Ouroboros. He’d regretted it ever since.

Now at the ripe age of 16, he was involved in crimes that even adults would think twice about, and he hated every moment. He’d joined gangs to be closer to other NEXT, not to harm humans and try to act better than them. It was getting harder to avoid with each passing year, as his Hundred Power grew, and the demands to the leaders grew more brash.

One such order had him paired up with some heavy set NEXT, tattooed and scar faced, driving them out to the residential area of Gold Stage. Kotetsu didn’t know what the full plan was, other than he was the muscle, and that they were expecting some big bucks should it pay off. He could have guessed that much, looking at the massive houses, and the one that finally stopped at was just as impressive.

“Mouth shut, stay close, eyes on the prize.”

“ _Neys on ne pwize”_ Kotetsu’s hand mocked. The older NEXT scowled, and all lips were sealed.

The both quietly climbed the curved staircase, sticking to the left side. The front door was locked, but only with a key, and the darkness reached far enough to conceal them as they began work. Scar-face was quick with the lock and darting down the dim hallways led them past room after room, each being opened just slightly. They bumped into each other when they finally found the room they were after.

“Alright. Now you grab ‘im, and _don’t. Let. Go._ ”

Kotetsu peered in, looking for the sudden target. The room clearly belonged to a child, toys and decorations dotted around the wardrobe and dresser, with the bed perched under the window holding the owner. He tip-toed closer, finally making out a mess of blond hair on a young boy. He gestured to make sure the child was the one he was grabbing, only getting a ‘hurry up’ in return, so he grabbed under the boy’s arms and dragged him out of bed. He spent a few moments adjusting his hold, wondering the best way for not dropping the boy, before there was noise in the hallway.

“Young Master?”

There was frantic waving from the tattooed arm, so Kotetsu simply tucked the boy under his arm and dashed out. Now in the hallway both NEXT saw the approach of a blond woman, her posture cautious. She called out once more, which began to rouse the child.

“We’re out!”

Scar-face began to sprint towards the woman, aiming for the exit, and Kotetsu did his best to keep up with the boy in tow. There was a startled scream as she was shoved out of the way, and a yelp as the boy woke up from the jostling. The teen tightened his grip as best he could, but the boy was squirming in panic, and before he knew what was happening, the child began to glow blue.

“Uh, problem! Big problem!”

Scar-face barely turned around. “Hold. Him.”

The kid had to be a power type, because his tiny hands were suddenly applying much more force in trying to get free. The woman wasn’t making chase, but she’d likely be going for a phone very soon. The best choice was to fight power with power. Kotetsu activated his own power, the size difference putting the struggle in his favour. He readjusted his hold on the child, wrapping both arms around the boys middle. Scar-face was already outside, and Kotetsu simply leaped the distance from the door to the car, both desperate to leave the scene.

The tires screeched as the car took off, the new goal being to get out of the polices reach. Having thrown himself into the back, Kotetsu was back to struggling with the abducted child, trying to hold him while searching for the rope usually in the car.

“Tiger, don’t damage the goods.”

“If someone had _told me_ this was a kidnapping, then maybe I could have, you know, PREPARED for this?!”

“When do your preparations ever work out?”

Kotetsu didn’t bother to retort, finally getting a hand on the rope to tie the squirming, now screaming child.

“Put a sock in him will ya.”

“Well if I was prepared…” He muttered under his breath, having to remove his shirt as a makeshift gag. There was less and less light coming into the car as they left the main roads and drove deeper into Stern Bild, and eventually their own NEXT glow faded into the black. All three occupants were silent on the return to the hideout, all waiting for what would come next.

* * *

This mission was quickly climbing the ranks in Kotetsu’s least favourite list. It wasn’t filled with blood and broken bones, but baby-sitting was a different kind of dirty, and he was left ‘in-charge’. The boy was now tied to a chair, still gagged.

>Cared for somewhat, because Kotetsu doesn't want to hurt a child!! That's not in the job description!

>Randsom made, because its not cheap to be a criminal, even if the hero industry is actually helping us. (OH Maveric isn’t going to be happy about the death)

>Killed parents syndrome. Like the Brooks show up with the whole amount for the ransom and you know what? Some idiot kills them! right there! In front of their son!

\-----

Chaos broke out. There was shouting and complain among the NEXT, some for and some against the death of the wealthy scientists. And by the edge of it all was the two youngest, frozen in shock at the sudden bloodshed.

“Well its done, we’ve got the money, so let’s move on with it.”

A knife was drawn by X, who made a bee line towards Barnaby. Kotetsu moved in front before the blade got too close.

“What are you going to do?”

“Cleaning up this job. Move.”

“You- you can’t just kill him!”

“The kids useless now, so back off.”

The man shoved him to the side, but he grabbed the wrist with the knife.

“He’s not useless, he’s a NEXT just like us. He gets stronger just like me.”

He didn’t look convinced, the knife beginning to move again.

“Please! Please. I’ll be responsible, I’ll look after him, just- don’t. Don’t kill him, please.”

He could put up a fight, but in a room of super powered killers, 5 minutes wouldn’t be enough. All he could do was beg.

“Ease up mate.”

The dark haired woman stood up from beside the corpses, having closed their eyes. X pulled himself from the hold, but thankfully put the knife to his side.

“Our little Tiger said he’d take responsibility, didn’t he?”

Kotetsu nodded vigorously, shifting further in front of Barnaby.

“Then he’ll be fully responsible, in seeing that out little one becomes a valuable member of Ouroborus.”

* * *

Barnaby is fucking traumatized, but Kotetsu promises he’ll do everything to keep him safe. Things are tense, until a member tries to assassinate Bunny, and Tiger goes into murder mode and takes a knife for him. They build up trust and live together for a few years, doing general criminal stuff.

>More tender caring

>Lets get oroboro tattoos

>At 17/27, Bunny is caught. Tiger is desperate to help, but without power he couldn’t stand againt the heroes, and is dragged away.

>Tied up once again, Bunny sits in a cell. But then Samantha calls out his name, and after a few moments he recognises her. She’s let in and hugs him, Maverick standing out side still. 

>He’s bailed out by Mavrick. He gets his tattoo removed, and they try to integrate him back. They talk about helping him after all the trauma, to get back into society. But there is a level of revenge and a level of 'I wanna help my friend', and deep down the conspirisy of Maverick manipulating the gang behind the scenes.

>Tiger however is threatened that if Bunny spills on the gang, they’re both dead. No one ever comes for them, so Tiger stays safe.

>At 24/34 Barnaby wants to join the hero industry under the guise of capturing his parents murderers. There’s a bit of tension because Maverick knows what happened, but since he wasn’t involved in the lower ranks past being annoyed at the Brooks deaths, he doesn’t know Barnaby already knows his parents killer is dead (Because you don’t kill the people we weren’t ready to kill, they had weapons yo). The real reason is he wants to save Tiger. 

>They do finally come to clash

* * *

(Tiger is shown a video in black mail of his families safety, to hold him to the gang as long as possible)

The phone was carefully placed in front of the old woman.

“Mrs. Kubaragi, do you recognise this watch?”

The surprise was clear on her face, “This was… my husband’s watch. I’d given it too…” Tears began to brim in her eyes.

“We’re still investigating who with and where this item was found, but from the engraving, I thought it best to check with you.”

He placed a hand to hers, “Don’t give up hope, your son may still be out there.”

They left the woman, and the video cut out. Kotetsu felt like he’d bite through his lip, as X leaned in to take the device away

“Just in case you’d forgotten who your owners were, Tiger.”


End file.
